In 1886, the french magazine paris illustré had a print of a japanese lady by the japanese artist kesai eisen on its cover. The well-known dutch painter vincent van gogh (1853-1890), who lived in paris at the time, saw the picture and used it as an example for the painting that is on view here. The waterscape van gogh painted around the figure of the lady is made up of various components derived from other japanese prints. To be seen are reed stems, frogs, water lilies, cranes and a small boat. At the time, the french words grenouille (frog) and grue (crane) were synonyms for prostitute. These words referred covertly to the lady’s profession. Object Type: painting. Genre: portrait. Date: 1887. Place of creation: Parijs, Frankrijk. Dimensions: height: 105.5 cm (41.5 in) ; width: 60.5 cm (23.8 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Van Gogh Museum. Courtesan - KONB11-S0116V-A4-RGB300-080805
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